Ultra-High Vacuum Inspection Wafer

Applied Materials, Inc. Engineering, 2023–24

Liaison(s): Rikki Walters ’20, Suhas Bangalore Umesh
Advisor(s): Tina Smilkstein
Students(s): Cecilia Li (TL-S), Javier Perez, Ruth Mueller (TL-F), Jovie Chen (S), Adam Medina (S), Zhian Zhou (S), Jackson Philion (F), Scarlett Bonner (F), Stephanie Allen (F)

Applied Materials is the nation’s leading semiconductor fabrication and development company. Their Endura machines are used to fabricate nanometer-sized features on silicon wafers, and during processing, the wafer is held in place by an electrostatic chuck. Over time, these chucks suffer flaws that could interfere with wafer fabrication. The Applied Materials Clinic team is developing a high-vacuum compatible device to easily inspect this chuck and monitor its wear with less chamber downtime.